The Vampyre: Canto Five – The Final Showdown + Epilogue

I did it! After nine month I’ve finally finished The Vampyre. Phew!

Canto one: A Gothic Romance https://jbjfan2009.wordpress.com/2013/08/20/the-vampyre-a-gothic-romance/

Canto two: The Necromancer https://jbjfan2009.wordpress.com/2013/11/26/the-vampyre-canto-two-the-necromancer/

Canto three: Marisa’s Interlude https://jbjfan2009.wordpress.com/2014/01/15/the-vampyre-canto-three-marisas-interlude/

Canto four: The Lord of Underland https://jbjfan2009.wordpress.com/2014/01/23/the-vampyre-canto-four-the-lord-of-underland/

 

Canto Five – Final Showdown

For many days I wandered.
Since my wrenching loss.
Gathering an army.
Of which you’d dare not cross.

Warriors and witches.
And some demonic souls.
All joined together, with me.
All with a single goal.

To stop Sight and his people.
To bring back my dearest bride.
To be with me forever.
To stay close by my side.

But our journey’d not be easy.
Nor would it be too quick.
For Sight, I know would try.
To fool us with his tricks.

A gateway was the key.
To find the warlocks lair.
But much blood would be shed.
Before we made it there.

In my mind I saw her.
Every time I slept.
And on my lips I felt her.
Every time I wept.

In taverns we asked questions.
And received soldiers anew.
And my comrades they enjoyed.
A frolic or two.

But ne’er did they forget.
Their mission and their fight.
To stop the rising evil.
That would surely end all life.

Then one day we came across.
Through a clearing in the trees.
A place, I thought, I knew.
A village brought to its knees.

A memory attacked me.
From very long ago.
The young girl, I remembered.
Her body battered so.

No longer was there carnage.
No blood soaked into the mud.
No young and ravaged maidens.
No men turned into dust.

“We must leave here now.
Lest we bring to them.
More pain and more sorrow.
Like the past forsaken.”

But spotted we soon were.
Before our chance to part.
And descend on us they did.
Those men of noble heart.

“What business have you here.
You group of unlikely friends?
This is a place of peace.
We will fight and we’ll defend.”

“We mean you’re clan no harm.
We’re merely passing through.
A mission, we’re all on.
We have no gripe with you.”

Out the corner of my eye.
I saw one of my group.
A vampire like me.
Move towards their troupe.

It happened in an instant.
The shouting and the blood.
Blades and stakes were swinging.
Bodies trampled in the mud.

I shouted “Cease this madness!”
We’ll have no more death.
This must be Sight’s doing.
Putting us to the test.”

The man said “We know that name.
His promises are false.
If what you say is true.
We’ll help you above all else.

The vampire who attacked.
We cast out of our group.
And continued forth until.
We found something quite gruesome.

My shock it almost killed me.
At the sight of some poor maid.
Her still beautiful body.
Impaled on a stake.

Not through the heart, however.
But mouth up to her groin.
I thought only of one.
Able of such a crime.

Her body looked quite queer.
Hung in such a way.
We cut her down with haste.
And buried her in the clay.

We must be close, I thought.
For Sight to perform.
Such a vile, heinous act.
To scare us or to warn.

Proceed, we did, with caution.
Until we found a door.
Not entrance to a building.
But a solid stone wall.

I touched my hand on to.
The cold, abrasive stone.
And Marisa, I could feel her.
Scared and all alone.

I summoned forth the witch.
With whom we’d travelled far.
A spell he soon begun.
To gain entrance to the lair.

Minutes turned to hours.
As he worked in a trance.
When finally an explosion.
Ended dear Sight’s stance.

We charged into the tomb.
Spilling blood by the tonne.
Not a single demon stood.
By the time that we had done.

When the debris had settled.
And the shouts and screams had stopped.
I looked around with a grin.
At the bodies that had dropped.

In pools of blood they lay.
Whilst Sight just stood, aghast.
And next to him I saw.
My Marisa at long last.

“I’ve come to put and end –
To you, you fool, dear Sight.
Let Marisa play no part.
For I’m ready for our fight.”

Sight smiled and spread his arms.
And said “Welcome to my home.”
I was counting on this meeting.
I knew you’d not leave her alone.

I took Marisa in my arms.
She said “You must leave here.
For whatever comes next.
Is what we have to fear.”

And just like that I fell.
Just crumbled to the floor.
Sight cackled like a raven.
And said “It’s show-time, whore”.

But as the pain coursed through me.
I felt something start to flow.
A power kept well hidden.
Since a meeting long ago.

And rise I did to meet.
Sight’s confused and fearful eyes.
“Impossible” his voice quivered.
As I prepared for his demise.

“I’m sorry Sight, it’s over.
You cannot win this fight.
You days are all but numbered.
It’s the end of your foul blight.”

“I’m afraid I’ve come to realise.
And I know it to be true.
I am the Lord of Underland.
Dear Sight, I’m done with you.”

I kissed Marisa’s lips.
And we vanquished him with ease.
Sight’s evil reign was over.
T’was and end to his disease.

Epilogue

So with that our lives went on.
Without a single hitch.
The Underland was safe.
Since the taming of that witch.

United were all demon’s.
All men and warlocks too.
Harmony prevailed.
In all but a fair few.

And as for our friend Sight.
He was kept well away.
Deep within the pages.
Of a spell book he did lay.

Never to return.
From his eternal pyre.
Never to forget.
The day he crossed The Vampyre.